Well-cut diamonds look wonderful regardless of the environmental conditions at the location they are placed. Nevertheless, a diamond shows different performance qualities depending on the lighting, how it is held, its surrounding and even the clothes the person who holds it wears.
Diamond's performance qualities are defined by Brightness, Fire, Scintillation and Contrast.
Brightness is the overall return of light from the diamond. A well-cut diamond will have great brightness. As the observer moves closer to the diamond, and consequently blocks more light, he will see the diamond's contrast pattern become more apparent (i.e. areas of light and darkness which compliment each other).
Fire in where the diamond breaks white light into spectral colors. All diamonds naturally disperse light but certain geometric relationships in the faceting enhance this quality more than others. A well-cut diamond, regardless of shape, should have healthy balance of colored sparkle in its performance (i.e. Fire).
Scintillation is white and colored sparkle associated with movement (i.e. the relative movement between the diamond and its observer). The dazzle of scintillation is a quality many people are drawn in diamonds.
Contrast is the pattern of light and dark areas which shifts with sparkle during movement. If an observer rocks a well-cut stone in his hand it will put on a fireworks display of bright colors and white sparkles enhanced by shifting contrast.
At the turn of the century diamonds' show rooms were kept dim, with low hanging electric lights to maximize dispersion. Today's jewelry stores show rooms are brighter in overall, but still use spotlights to exaggerate the effect of Fire. The use of modern LED and directional fiber-optic lighting at close range can create even more intensity. Scintillation is best produced by a mixture of overhead diffused or reflected light accompanied by strategically placed spotlighting. High-end jewelry stores such as Cartier often have bright lights reflecting from wall, small directional spots and additional pinpoint LED or fiber optic lighting positioned inside the case. In such an environment an observer can see sparkle just by changing his position relative to the diamond. One can generate this effect at home with recessed canned lighting or with track lighting, but the number of places outside a jewelry store with strategically reflected and directional light are few.
Generally, diamonds are stationary attached to a ring by means of a bezel. The effects of Scintillation and Contrast are increased when the diamond orientation is changed with respect to the viewer eye.
The present invention comprises a dynamic bezel which dynamically changes the relative orientation of the diamond with respect to the viewer eye therefore increases the Scintillation and Contrast effects.
It is an object of the invention to provide a piece of jewelry comprising a dynamic bezel, positioned on a multi-directional freedom of movement pivot, in order to generate a relative position change effect between the observer and the piece of jewelry.
It is another object of the present invention to increase the Scintillation and Contrast performance qualities of a diamond, positioned on top of the dynamic bezel, due to the relative position change effect between the observer and the dynamic bezel.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a piece of jewelry comprising a dynamic bezel with the ability to tilt around a central axis in different directions, when the piece of jewelry slightly moves, and eventually to return to the initial vertical position, when the movement of said piece of jewelry stops.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a piece of jewelry comprising a dynamic bezel with the ability to tilt around a central axis in different directions, when the piece of jewelry slightly moves, without using an additional energy source.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a piece of jewelry which is shaped in any desired shape, and which comprises a dynamic bezel.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a piece of jewelry, comprising a dynamic bezel, which is set with gems, pearls or gold and in any form of setting.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.